HELIX B10 Drabbles
by Moriyasha Neko-hime
Summary: A series of Drabbles for the OmniBros/OmniBoyfriends Ben and Rook. Soft, gradual relationship fluffs. ((COVER ART BY the wonderful seira5486))
1. EARTH

**B10 #4 – Earth**

As Rook Blonko stepped off the cruiser onto solid ground again for the first time in several hours, his few belongings in hand, he was greeted in the docking bay by Magister Patelliday, an aged and able Pisccis Volann.

"Rook Blonko, reporting for active duty," the Revonnahgander saluted.

The Magister returned the salute with a sharp-toothed smile. "Welcome aboard, greenhorn. Glad ye could make it! Follow me, and we'll get ye set up."

Hefting his bag, Blonko followed fish of prey. He tried to keep his eyes forward as he walked, as etiquette and protocol demanded. However, all of the 'hustle and bustle'—that was what Scout and Tack usually called it—drew his attention as a strong wind would carry a leaf. The Earth's Plumbers base was far more lively than the Academy had been. Clearly, there was enough work to be done that everyone in sight was coming and going one way or the other.

He was surprised, however, when he was taken to a tech lab and given an entirely different body armor to change into by a pair of Galven Plumbers. Having worn his white Plumber uniform since basic training—and having seen every other Plumber in the same gear—he was uncertain why he was given the blue armor at all.

"This is PROTO-Armor; state of the art tech went into this," Patelliday grinned. "I heard ye were an ace at using a PROTO-Tool in the Academy, so we figured ye'd be a prime choice for the armor. Durable, but be nice to it. It's the only one of its type right now."

Blonko rolled his shoulders experimentally. "It is somewhat loose."

"Press that switch," Blukic pointed to the lock on his bracer.

Doing so, the Revonnahgander was startled when the action resulted in the material tightening around him until it was no longer uncomfortably slack.

"It's designed to fit the wearer in every way possible," Driba explained as he walked along the Plumber's arm and shoulders, double-checking the fastenings. "Height, weight, it's all been taken into account. Should you lose…or acquire…a limb through some freak accident, the PROTO-Armor will accommodate the change."

Blonko was not entirely certain how he felt about the probability of losing a limb, much less how high such a possibility had to be to be prepared for it. But before further inquiries could be made, the entire base trembled from a great impact overhead, and the alarms began to shriek as the lights turned red.

"Wait here!" Was all Magister Patelliday said before dashing out of the lab.

As he was told, Blonko remained with Driba and Blukic, even as he watched others hurrying past the doors and windows. It was so strange to finally graduate, and to be stationed on Earth was incredible. To think, he was standing on the same planet as Ben Tennyson!

He could privately confess that the boy had been an inspiration for his joining the Plumbers. While his homeworld was n0t widely known in the galactic community, the Plumbers outpost had allowed for many stories and legends about the young man to reach his curious ears. The chapter and a half of required study at the Academy had only enticed him further to work his hardest to become a Plumber. His bunkmate, Tak, had once met the Earther and told him and Scout about him on occasion.

And now, he could hear more—even witness new legends for himself!

When the alarms were finally shut down the lights returned to normal, someone came for him. Needless to say, he was more than mildly startled when none other than the commander of Earth-base's Plumbers entered.

"Just heard you arrived," Maxwell Tennyson smiled. "Glad to see you made it here safely."

"Magister Tennyson, sir!" Blonko straightened as he saluted the aged Earth man. He was somewhat confused when he was offered a handshake in place of a salute, but did not question it. "It is an honor to meet you, sir."

"I wish I'd known you were here sooner; your new partner was barely in the door before he took off again," the Magister smiled sheepishly, and shrugged. "Ah well. It'll give us a moment to chat." Offering Blonko a seat, he opened one of the two file folders he had brought with him. "I've noticed that you were well-noted by all your instructors. Graduated top of your class. That's pretty impressive, even when you consider what happened to the Academy!"

While the humiliation of that final assessment had burned—he and every other Plumber had privately sworn vengeance against the Vreedle Brothers for the destruction of the Plumbers Academy—Rook Blonko had passed with honors and had graduated alongside his friends without further incident. He wished that Tak and Scout had been able to come with him to the Sol System, but both were needed elsewhere, and he respected them too much to disagree with their choices.

"Among your class, you were the most skilled at using the PROTO-Tool—not an easy piece of equipment," the Magister went on, his tone impressed. "Even says you modified yours yourself."

The Revonnahgander had, at first, been unaware that he had taken the most state of the art tech in the known universe as his weapon of choice. It had simply struck him as complex enough that he could enjoy deciphering his own uses for it. As training went on, and more recruits commented upon his weapon and who made it, he was far too adept at using it to pass it off for something less versatile.

"It is a very complicated mechanism," he conceded. "However, its many uses make the training to use it worthwhile."

"Well, I'm sure Azmuth was happy to hear someone knows how to work it properly!" Max Tennyson chuckled. "It's one of the reasons he sent us the PROTO-Armor for you." He would have laughed harder at the amazement on the young Plumber's face, but chose to be nice. "It's good to have a full set, huh?"

Blonko looked at his armor with new amazement. He was aware of the friendship between the First Thinker and the Human Magister—it was frequently talked about back at the Academy—but he never would have considered the two would speak very frequently, or at all casually. Much less, that the Galven himself had made his new gear specifically for him. Such a thing was unheard of.

"I don't doubt that things'll be weird for you at first, but I think you'll fit right in, given time."

"Magister, if I may ask…?" He was given a casual wave to proceed, "No matter how high my standing in the Academy, it is hardly a substitution for the experience required to earn the right to such technologies. Why, then, have I been granted such access?"

"It's important for you to be as well-equipped as possible. Trouble has the tendency of following your new partner around," his superior chuckled, "so you'll want that advantage. You've earned your place, now you just have to live up to it."

"I understand, sir," Blonko nodded. "But who is it I am to be partnered with that such precautions are necessary?"

Smile broadening, the human man passed him the second file he carried. Blonko was silently pleased at the smell of paper—everything had been digital back at the Academy—and carefully opened the manila cover. Height, weight, age, favorite color, worst fear, distinctive body marks—everything about his new partner was there. However, before he could absorb anything, amber eyes shot to the name and picture upon the first page.

**Benjamin Kirby Tennyson**

Ben Tennyson. Ben 10. The wearer of the Omnitrix, the greatest invention of Azmuth, and hero of the galaxy.

And he was Rook Blonko's new partner.

"Gwen and Kevin left just today," Maxwell Tennyson sighed. "A while ago, I sat down with the only other person who could give me an idea of what to look for in a new partner for Ben. You were handpicked out of four dozen other graduates. You're resourceful, even if you lack experience. You think on your feet, and that's a trait needed for this job, and for working with my grandson."

The Revonnahgander found he could do little more than look from the Earth man to the file in his hands, and back again. Truly, he had no idea how he was supposed to respond to such a startling assignment. So much had been given to him in such a short period of time—he did not think he had even been on the planet for more than three hours yet!—and now he was to be partnered with the one person he could actually consider a hero.

"Now then!" The Magister clapped his hands loudly. "Sorry to throw you out into the field so soon after you got here, but there's a bit of a situation going on that Ben has run off to look into. He was heading for an alien grocery store, I think it would be a good idea if you met him there. You ready to go to work, Rook Blonko?"

There was no answer, except—

"Yes, sir!"

_AN: I have decided to post this today, since tomorrow's my BDay, and hope someone likes it. I'll be writing these and posting at random, but I hope people like them. Ben+Rook, but their relationship will be soft and gradual, don't expect to find any NSFW._

_Thank you for reading! Hope you like it!_


	2. LUCK

**Author:** FelisHaww  
**Fandom:** Ben 10 Omniverse  
**Pairing:** Ben + Rook  
**Spoilers:** "A Jolt From the Past"

**#10 Luck**

Ben could get over Gwen leaving for college. He could even get over Kevin not telling him he was going with her until the last minute. It still hurt, as much as he denied it. But he had learned to roll with the punches enough over the years that he wasn't about to let it stop him.

That Grandpa had gotten him a new partner without talking to him first was a whole different can of worms.

Rook Blonko. Ben didn't even know what race he was. He had never seen anyone else like him attack the earth or attempt to steal the Omnitrix—that was usually how he became acquainted with a new alien race—so Ben was lacking any real basis of comparison for the guy. And something about that irritated him. Gwen, Kevin, and Grandpa Max were their own sort of people, but the most important to Ben, and thus the only basis of comparison for anyone he ran into. Rook wasn't like any of them. His mellow attitude, his respectful manners, his naiveté, and his by-the-book mind-set were all new to Ben Tennyson.

The teen would admit that Rook had a lot of skill. He had never seen anyone move that fast or that easily. Of course, his Proto-whatzit gave him an advantage in most situations, even as his lack of experience and understanding of basic expressions left a lot to be desired.

On top of everything else, now he had to adjust his timetable to Rook's patrols instead of his own. Before, there was no 'late' or 'early', he just went whenever and wherever he felt like going. It was one of the benefits of being a world-famous superhero, as well as the Magister's grandson.

But Rook's honest respect for the legend that was Ben Tennyson made him open up a little more. While he could have done without the skepticism towards Alien X, Ben couldn't help getting a little puffed up about the rookie's admiration. Of course, who wouldn't want to be partner to _the_ Ben 10? Anyone would! There were legends about him, after all! He was required study at Plumber Academy! Okay, it was only a chapter and a half. But it was definitely something!

The beginning of their first real patrol together had been less than exciting. One thing after another turned out to be nothing to worry about. Ben actually started to feel dejected under Rook's less-than-impressed silence. It wasn't that his partner was really disappointed per se—if anything, the older teen was simply going about business as usual—but it didn't sit well with Ben to let the night go on without proving there was something to the legends Rook mentioned. After going so far as declaring he was _better_ than the legends, he couldn't let the night pass without showing off at least a little bit.

And the chance came because Rook noticed the oddity that was some punk's phone.

The next few hours proved to be more exciting than Ben had anticipated—what with the abuse of the Mega-Watts, the A-Hole running the show, Rook giving him a scare after being shot at, and a brand new alien with epic gravity powers—but it was hardly anything that the great Ben 10 couldn't handle. Once it was over, the rest of the night was quieter.

"Do you not like Chili Fries?" Ben asked Rook as they retrieved their orders from the Burger Shack counter. "You ate them with me the other day, right?"

"I do not know," the tall Plumber sighed. "Something about the smell bothers me."

Ben shrugged, once again conflicted about his new partner. If he didn't like Ben's favorite food, they had even less in common than he thought the first time they met. "Maybe you need more cheese than chili. We can try different—Holy frick, dude! Your head!"

Completely by chance, while Rook turned to grab his soda, Ben happened to look up and see the nasty cut to the back of his partner's noggin.

Rook reached back, touching his wound, and looked at the blood that came away on his fingertips with an almost innocent curiosity. "This is likely from when I impacted with that crate," he replied finally. "My armor protected me from the worst of Fistrik's shot."

"Why didn't you say so? Sit down, I'll go grab the First-Aid kit!" Ben set his own food down before hurrying back to the truck.

"I will be fine. I do not even feel anything," Rook insisted, even as he did as he was told.

Even if that were true—which Ben doubted—he saw that it was a really deep, nasty gash, not just a cut. No wonder he was stunned before, it had to have hurt! Moreover, there was enough dried blood around the wound that stuck to Rook's fur that he knew it must've been bothering his partner more than he was willing to admit.

"You should've said something before!" Ben groused as he dabbed at the gash with an alcohol-soaked cotton ball. "We could've had someone look at it properly!"

"There were more pressing concerns…" Rook offered lamely, trying not to react to the burn of disinfectant. The growls and hisses of his discomfort actually made Ben a little nervous. "Besides, it was by my own carelessness that I was hurt at all. I should have reacted much faster."

Thankfully, Ben had patched himself up enough in the past that he was done cleaning the wound in no time. "You were lucky, considering your armor doesn't have a helmet. A head-shot could kill ya!" He groaned as he peeled open a bandage and carefully applied it to the back of Rook's head. "Next time, say something sooner! It doesn't do you or anyone else any good to keep quiet about it!"

"With any luck, there will not be a next time," his partner said coolly, and suddenly smiling. "But in spite of my pains, I find I am actually happy about tonight."

"Why would anyone—even a doughnut-hole like you—be happy to get hit?!" The keeper of the Omnitrix demanded, feeling he was one word from tearing his hair out.

"You referred to me 'Partner', and meant it for the first time."

Ben felt his rage and confusion come to a stuttering halt in the face of Rook's honest smile.

Thinking about it, it was true that Ben had only called Rook 'Partner' in jest since they'd met. He hadn't even noticed. But it looked like Rook had been paying pretty close attention, likely waiting for that to change. And the fact that Ben had come through seemed to be a bigger plus to his night than actually seeing Ben in action.

"I…guess that's okay," the younger teen settled into his seat to continue eating, pointedly ignoring his partner's amber gaze.

Rook might have been happy about the night's events, but at that moment, Ben felt lucky his new partner wasn't all that familiar with 'human emotional queues.' Otherwise, he would have asked why his face and ears were turning red.

Ben wouldn't have been able to answer, because he didn't really understand it himself.

**AN:** I'm so glad everyone liked my first drabble! THANK YOU, EVERYONE WHO WISHED ME A HAPPY BIRTHDAY!


	3. STARS

**Author:** FelisHaww  
**Fandom:** Ben 10 Omniverse  
**Pairing:** Ben + Rook  
**Spoilers:** "So Long and Thanks for all the Smoothies"  
**Notes:** Serious Angst factor here. I'm surprised at myself…

**B10 #21 Stars **

Ben snapped awake, his breath coming in desperate gasps, and sweat made his clothes and sheets cling to his skin. The room around him was still the same mess it had been for weeks. But for a moment, he didn't know where he was.

Getting up, he left his room to go down the hall to his parents' door. Carefully and quietly, he peeked into the dark bedroom to see his parents sleeping. But it wasn't the same room from a week ago. His parents were, and were not the same people they had always been.

His parents' weren't likely to understand, as much as part of him wanted to crawl into their bed like he had when he was still a kid having nightmares. Going back to his room, Ben grabbed his phone and dialed the first number he could think of. Waiting, he listened to the constant beeping of his call going through before he heard the other end pick up.

"_Hello…?"_ Came a sleepy reply.

"Gwen, hi. It's Ben. How's everything going?"

"_Ben, it's not even two in the morning…"_

"Yeah, sorry…" he chuckled. "I just wanted to make sure you were okay. I'll let you go."

"_Is everything alright, Ben?"_ She sounded a little more awake. _"Is something wrong?"_

"No no!" He answered hastily. "I'm fine. Everything's fine. Sorry for waking you. Go back to sleep. I'll call you again later, Gwen."

Ending the call there, before his cousin could question him again, Ben felt stupid for b0thering her at all. It was enough to discourage him from calling Kevin or Grandpa Max. But he needed to talk to somebody. He needed to get out of the house and so something. Pulling on his jeans and his shoes, he grabbed his hoodie and sneaked out the back door.

He didn't know where he could really go, so he just started walking. He walked and walked, not even following which direction he was going. Before he knew it, he looked up and found himself on the outskirts of town. He found there only the trees and the main highway to keep him company.

He was just far enough from town that the lights didn't dim the stars overhead. They were bright, and all where they should be. As with everything in his home, in the galaxy and the entire universe, it was all in its proper place. It was all the same, from the smallest grain of sand to the furthest star. But at the same time, none of it was the same. It wasn't the same Bellwood he had grown up in. It wasn't the same world he had been born to. It wasn't the same universe. That world and all its people were gone.

Alien X used its incredible power to copy the universe—everything he knew and everything he didn't—in his only chance to win. Even if no one remembered anything, even if no one believed him, he was willing to count it as a victory.

But with a single sip, his doubts started to fester. If it didn't taste the same, did that mean it wasn't the same?

And the people… Even if the DNA, the memories and personalities were all there, were the people still the same? Were they really there? Were his family and friends in this world just copies? What if when the universe ended, they all passed on to whatever afterlife they belonged to without him? Was he completely alone here?

Falling to his knees, Ben struggled not to cry. He had been fighting it for so long now, trying to get on with his life, but the sheer weight of what he lost was finally too much to bear. He had ultimately failed. The universe he had come from died. He couldn't save it or anyone. The empty blackness that ended it all still haunted him. He had lost everything and everyone that mattered to him.

He finally couldn't hold back, suddenly choking on grief and drowning in his tears when he suddenly realized…he didn't get to say good-bye to any of them.

In the middle of nowhere, Ben broke down and sobbed. He didn't care if anyone heard him, or if anyone saw him. It could have been hours or days that he just sat there, letting his tears go. So overwhelmed by his misery, he didn't care if he lived or died.

"Ben?"

That mellow voice, speaking his name was the very last thing the boy had expected to hear.

Sure that it was only his imagination, or the wind in the trees, or something other than what it sounded like, he turned fully expecting to find nothing. Instead, he discovered Rook Blonko standing only a few feet away from him, concern written all over his cat-like face.

Ben scrubbed his sleeve against his face to hopefully clear away the worst of his tears, though his face felt pretty fugly. He honestly couldn't bring himself to care enough to do more than get up off the ground at that moment, though.

"R-ook…" He hiccupped lightly, not turning around just yet. "What are y-you doing h-here…?"

"I would return your question, Ben; are you alright?" The Revonnahgander asked gently. When no response was forthcoming, Rook said, "I come up here when I find the time. I like the quiet of the mountains; it reminds me of home. I was driving when I caught sight of you."

Ben still hadn't turned around. Nor had he said anything else. The sound of struggled breaths and the scent of salt was more enough for Rook to understand that his partner was upset about something, but still trying to collect himself. While he was concerned to find Ben so far from home, so late at night, he could not trouble the boy by pressing him for an explanation.

"Would you like to come with me?"

Finally, Ben turned to face his partner's gentle smile. "What…? Where…?"

"There is a particular ridge I visit to watch the stars," Rook explained. "It is not far, if you would like to accompany me."

Ben wasn't sure if he should. He didn't want company, but at the same time he didn't want to be alone.

After a full minute of standing on the side of the road without saying anything, the occasional car passing them by, Ben walked over and took his seat in the PROTO-Truck. Not questioning or commenting, Rook got back behind the wheel and continued on his original course.

The drive was uneventful and quiet, save for the hum of the engine and the tires against the road. Ben sat with his window rolled down, taking comfort in the night wind as it rushed past his ears and through his hair. The truck eventually left the highway, going down a barely-there dirt road. He was so tired, he almost didn't notice when they finally stopped. But when Rook opened his door, Ben was up and out his own side of the truck.

It was a nice spot overlooking Bellwood from the western "forest-side"—to the north was the "desert-side" and the south was the "sea-side"—and the trees were spaced far enough apart that the sky was perfectly clear overhead. Briefly, Ben thought it looked like that spot where Bilbo and the dwarves got attacked at the end of _The Hobbit_ movie, just before the Eagles saved them, but was still too muted to laugh about it.

Still, he could appreciate the view. "Cool."

"The temperature here is rather moderate," Rook nodded.

"That's not what I—"Ben cut himself off when he saw his partner's sly smile, and that actually got a small smile out of him. It wasn't often that Rook could be anything but reserved and sensible, so he just couldn't help it.

Ben settled in at the base of a random tree while Rook went about looking at his star charts. It was nice and quiet all the way out here, and the wind was soft with the strong scent of the pine trees. He felt a little bit better, but felt anxious as he awaited Rook's questioning him again.

But it didn't come.

The Revonnahgander—that was what Grandpa Max called his race—just went about without hardly saying besides offering Ben a drink from his canteen or a bite of whatever snack he had brought along. While Ben would almost always pass on whatever Rook liked eating, he appreciated the cool water that helped revive him a little more from his earlier sobbing.

All at once, his spirits fell again. He felt grey, tired and heavy. Looking to his partner, the boy found he couldn't—No, he didn't want to stay quiet.

"Hey, Rook?"

"Yes, Ben?"

"What're your planet's religious beliefs?"

This sudden inquiry finally called Rook's amber gaze to his own emerald, and his surprise was obvious on his furred face. But after a second, his friend stopped to actually think for a long time, considering his answer carefully. Sadly, he looked somewhat uncertain.

"Perhaps it is unusual for you to understand, as Earthlings have many, many forms of faith. We do not worship any particular deity, but rather…" He sighed, his entire form slumping. "It is somewhat awkward to explain, since very little was left to us after the Great Burn…"

"What's that?" Ben blinked.

Rook hesitated a long while, his pale face pinched with doubt and anxiety, before settling down beside his partner. "I will tell you another time…" He sighed, before smiling gently. "As for our religious beliefs, my people believe that there exists a vast… I do not know what term you might understand… A 'consciousness', you might say, engaged in a search for meaning. It breaks itself apart, investing itself in every form of life. We _are_ this 'consciousness', trying to understand itself."

Ben blinked, comprehension flying right over his head. "I don't have a clue what that means, Rook."

"I thought not," the Revonnahgander laughed gently, closing his star charts as he thought a moment about how to explain further. "If I shine a light at a wall, you see the light—on the wall. But the wall is not the source of the light, it comes from somewhere else. The soul is the same; it is a projection. It does not exist _inside_ us, anymore than the light exists inside the wall." Rook held up his hands, drumming his fingers against his palms, "But this shell—the body—is the only way we can perceive it. We are this 'consciousness' made manifest—trying to figure itself out."

Ben tilted his head in interest. "So…everything and everyone is part of this conscience-thing?"

"_Consciousness_, and yes," he replied. "And in that way, we are all connected."

"So…what happens…when…" He choked a little, nervous about what the answer might be. But still, he had to ask. He had to hear someone say something. "What happens when your people die?"

Rook's expression pinched for a second with concern at the question, but once again considered his words carefully. "Well… After death, the individual soul joins with all other departed souls, melding into one. Then, are reborn in each new generation—the same, and yet new, after melding with the other souls of the departed."

"Reincarnation," Ben nodded thoughtfully. "There's no heaven or something waiting for you after everything is over? It's just a constant rinse and repeat?"

Rook was only a little surprised by this question, before smiling brightly. "I believe that being able to be with everyone I love again, to experience entirely new things and continue life would be heaven enough for me. Do you not feel the same?"

"I…" Ben stopped, never having thought about it like that before, and felt a brand new window open up to him. Rook could see his partner relax somewhat and smiled. "I guess I do… Hey, Rook?"

"Yes, Ben?"

They both smiled a little at the odd repeat of the evening.

"You said we were all connected because of this consciousness," Ben said, "what did you mean?"

"I have already explained the spiritual connection. However, if that is not enough…" Rook didn't look at his partner, instead raising his eyes to the stars overhead. "The molecules that make up your body are the same that make up this planet, and the planets far beyond this system, and the nebula beyond them. The same molecules that burn inside the stars themselves. We are…" He laughed a little. "We are 'star-stuff'."

Ben blinked, surprised by the logical sense that made. On a base level, everything was matter, and matter made up everything. In fact, that same stuff came from Alien X to copy everything. In that way, it had used the matter that had made itself to re-make everything else. So it was still the same.

It was still the same.

And just like that, the knot of messed up feelings came free. It felt easier to breathe, and he didn't feel as heavy. Ben felt better. Ben felt much better.

Because it was all the way it was supposed to be.

Rook didn't notice just when his partner nodded off. Only when he bumped into his shoulder, snoring lightly. Not wanting to disturb him so soon, the Revonnahgander let him sleep for a while longer, and occupied himself with his stargazing.

AN: So sorry! I meant to do these weekly, but I fell into a funk. Better now!


	4. DRINK

**Author:** FelisHaww  
**Fandom:** Ben 10 Omniverse  
**Pairing:** Ben + Rook  
**Spoilers:** "Hot Stretch"  
**Notes:** I like Ester, I really do. But the property damage and loss of life that were totally skirted around honestly pissed me off.

**B10 #12 Drink **

"Water…!" Blonko was certain that if he stayed in the 'Hot Spot' for much longer, he was going to die.

"Yikes! I'm coming, buddy! Don't die!" Ben panicked and hastened to reach his partner, slipping one of his longer arms over his shoulder to raise him up. "I got ya, partner. We're going home."

"I can show you the quickest way back to the surface," Ester offered happily.

"Great!" Ben was happy to accept her company for a little longer.

Blonko was less so. And did not entirely understand why.

At first, he had teased Ben about his obliviousness over the Kraho's interest in him. But as the day had carried on, the Revonnahgander grew more and more displeased at her presence. He had been angry with the Kraho's thievery, of course, and more so at Ben's sudden lapse in memory of her criminal actions. But this new irritation was more than that.

Amidst his growing displeasure of standing in the shade, watching them play together with the children from the street, he realized his hackles were standing almost painfully straight. Such a display of anger had not occurred since he was Young One, not yet named, and he was thoroughly ashamed that he had let his feelings incite such a reaction. He spared a grateful thought that he had kept his mane short and that his PROTO-Armor concealed the rest of his form. Otherwise, his hackles and his displeasure would have certainly been obvious and he would have been unable to explain.

Blonko struggled—even now, as they made their way up through the pipes—to determine the true reason for his discontentment.

"Maybe…once things have calmed down…do you thing we could visit a sweet shop up on the surface?" Ester asked. "I've always wanted to try chocolate. I've heard it's the best!"

"We'd have to get a hot chocolate in your case," Ben grinned. "Might melt otherwise."

The pair shared a jovial laugh, and Blonko grit his teeth at the sound. The miserable heat he was suffering was partially to blame for his dark mood. However, Ester's close proximity was only making his irritability worse.

"That is…if any such establishments remain standing after what you have done today…"

The mood around the two immediately went still at his words.

"However, you must feel that, as long as whatever you wish to remain standing does, whatever crimes you and your people have committed are forgotten…" Blonko did not even try to fight the words as they came out his mouth. After having his input being ignored most of the day, he wanted to be heard. "Surely, whoever else has suffered because of your ignorance is hardly important in the face of your own elation."

"Rook!" Ben gaped, hardly believing what he was hearing.

"You may insist that you are different from your uncle," Blonko continued, feeling a strange exhilaration at his own words, "but I fail to see any such divergence from his opinions if you so readily overlook the suffering of those you profess to care about in favor of your own comfort."

"I haven't!" Ester suddenly shouted, desperate to dispel his cruel words. "I would never ignore anyone!"

"Do you realize the damage you have caused? Do you even care?" Looming over her, he was glad that she cowered under his glare, but her pained expression gave him no satisfaction. Even so, Blonko found he could not withhold his fury. He was beyond displeased at her poor attempt to defend herself. "Even if you and your people promise to live in peace, I doubt you can comprehend just how much you will have to make up for after today! I doubt you have even bothered to consider it!"

"Rook! Cut her a break already!" Ben pulled on his arm to draw his temper back.

Blonko tore away from Ben to continue down the sewer way on his own. He did not make it very far, however, before he had to lean against the wall to support himself in his weakened state. He felt truly ill, his head swimming painfully and his insides still burning from the heat. The stone felt much cooler than before, and he was grateful for the change in temperature as he struggled to collect himself.

"Maybe I should take him the rest of the way by myself, Ester," he heard Ben say. Blonko did not hear the Kraho's reply, and could assume that she simply nodded. The Revonnahgander was honestly glad when he heard her retreating steps. He would no longer have a target to lash out against. Ben quickly rejoined him, once again pulling his arm over his shoulders before they continued on their way.

After what seemed a long while, Blonko was relieved when the grating they had surfaced through earlier that day appeared overhead. No matter how hot, Blonko was happy to once again breathe the open air when they pushed out onto the street.

But that one deep breath made him cough from how dry his throat had become. "Water…"

"Lemonade?" Ben offered, having spotted a nearby stand selling the bitter-sweet beverage.

Without preamble, Blonko took a glass. And another. And finally the enormous pitcher was drunk down. The citrus and sugar and stray ice-cubes cooled his insides and he felt much more revived upon putting the picture back down.

"Thank you…" He sighed, grateful and fatigued.

As the heat subsided, Blonko was ashamed for his behavior. Certainly, as a criminal, Ester had much to answer for. But that was a poor excuse for his outburst. His words had been dishonorable and improper of a Plumber, as well as a grown Revonnahgander. Had Father seen him, he would have been beyond shamed to call him Son.

Looking to Ben, he found the boy's attention on the children playing in the street, and Blonko felt even more ashamed for his poor control of his temper.

"I apologize…for my words, Ben," he finally said. "No matter the situation, such manners are inappropriate. I will…" He grit his teeth somewhat, "…apologize to Ester when next I see her…"

Ben rubbed the back of his neck looking very uncertain. "You were pretty harsh, but…" His shoulder sank with a sigh. "I'm sorry, too. For…stuff…and junk…"

Most likely, Ben was unsure what he was supposed to be apologizing for, though he was at least acknowledging that he was partly at fault for his partner's outburst.

Accepting his apology, they both returned to watching the children skating in the street.

The lemonade Blonko had gulped moments ago had been more bitter than sweet. Whoever had mixed it together had not used enough sugar. It left an odd taste on the back of his palate. But as it settled in his stomach, Rook Blonko felt much better than before.

AN: I don't want anyone to think I dislike Ester or any of the female characters in Ben 10 just because I'm partial to Ben/Rook. I really like them all, (except Kai Green) so I refuse to bash them or anyone for the sake of my ship. But if there is something that irks me like this, it will likely come out in my writing. I hope I haven't disappointed anyone with this update.


End file.
